Hi-
This will be my first post beyond the introducing myself. I am just getting started on my latest hot rod project, and my first Ford. I have built a couple of 1950 Chevs, but a local hot rod guy has always bought them from me before I was finished. With two kids in college, the money is hard to say no to; anyway he just bought my last one and I had a little money left over. Came across a super condition 46 2 door Sedan, really a nice piece, for a very fair price. Snapped it up. Here's the rub-

At some point in time, someone pulled the original front end, and replaced it with a drum brake, rear steer, Nova front stub. The install does not appear real sanitary, at least by the quality of the welds and the support bracket fabrication. I have no experience with sub frame swaps. I have a couple of sub frames, pretty complete, in my parts and stuff. One is a 78 Z-28, it's complete and has been rebuilt with all new bushings and ball joints, etc. The other is a mid 70's Monte Carlo, at least that's what I was told when I bought it for the 350/350 that was sitting in it. It's also a front steer disc unit.

My questions are these-

1. If I decide to just use the Nova stub that's in the car, what components will interchange from what I have to upgrade to disc brakes?
2. What kind of clearence issues am I looking at around the exhaust and rear steering?
3. I am concerned about the distance from the box to the firewall- it looks pretty tight, enough that I'm concerned about u-joints and shafts and the corresponding angles that will be invovled.
4 A man I know here in Denver area is a super fabricator, and has installed a number of sub frames in various hot rods. He would be willing to help me pull the Nova stub, which I cannot claim was installed correct in the first place, and replace it with one of the others. Is there any benefit to front steering over rear in this car? What about the radiator on a front steer? I'd think it would be a problem, but I'm not sure.

Any help in all of this would be really welcome. This car is in such nice shape it needs to be right.

The early Nova/Camaro front is a very good unit. When installed correctly.

I personally would get the frame down to where measurements could be taken and possibly corrected.

Changing the sub to disc brakes is very easy. There have been several posts on that.

I have had several 41-48 Fords with this setup and I really like it. I have used early Camaro headers and "shorty" headers. The only problem being clearance where the sub/exhaust hits the "X" member. Some pipe bending is required. My 47 B/Coupe used a BBC with fenderwell headers. That was a real problem getting clearance at the "A" frames.

Any help in all of this would be really welcome. This car is in such nice shape it needs to be right.

Ford frames from 1941 to 1948 are all basically the same ... I suggest finding another 41 to 48 FORD frame. Build the new chassis to your specs ... and then move the body over. A bare chassis is so much easier to work on, and then paint and detail.

Thank you both for your replys. I have to admit I had not considered locating another frame, but that makes a lot of sense. Just to confirm- it does not matter if it's a two door, four door, whatever- just a 41-48 passenger car frame? There was one on Craigs list here in Denver several months ago, some guy selling a 4 door body with a bare frame that had the MII crossmember in it. I think he wanted $900, but I don't think it sold.

At this point, my plan is to pull the front sheet metal and get the car up in the air so I can measure and really see what I have. I'd assume that you need to measure the wheelbase on both sides, and then find some way to check and see that the sub has the same side to side height, but what else do you measure? The bracing where the frame (s) connect is really the worst of it, and it is totally correctable with some grinding and additional material.

The frames for a 41 to 48 Ford sedan, coupe and convertibles will interchange for a Hot Rodders purpose but the convertible frame is actually a better frame made of one gauge metal better material and usually have a little more bracing.

Measuring wheelbase is not a true indicator of what or where thing are. The mounting points of the suspension is where I would measure to.

The frame for $900 could be a great buy if the IFS was properly installed. Most Mustang II/Pinto kits are 4 to 5 hundred dollars. I, myself would rather find a original chassis that was not messed with and start fresh. I never had much luck with other folks " projects " and found out that a LOT of them were for sale because they were not HAPPY with the results either ... sort of like the sedan you just got

I found a 46 Ford pickup on Craigs list here in Denver for $1000, that's for the whole truck with a flathead V-8. I assume that a truck frame is a different animal? The other frame is not to be found. I would also much prefer a stock frame, but I think trying to find one might be a bit of a chore- I'll start keeping my eyes open. For now, I will stick with the only plan I see as practical, that's seeing what I have to work with and making a call from there.

This Nova stub that's on the car- drum/rear steer- how does it compare width wise to a stock Ford? I keep reading about kits to make the disc setups narrower. I did not really notice that it seemed too wide, but I sure could have missed that easy enough.

I was wondering about a Fatman MII front subframe, but they don't list one for this particular car.

///As said before measure a lot, if square ,check the wheelbase and tire spacing, when installing a subframe that lowers the ride -add 2 inches to the Wheelbase so tires end up in center of fender well. The nova sub is the best to use because camaro has frt steer and box gets in the way of the grill and radiator on the 30's and 40's trucks and cars. Some subframes have to be narrowed or offset rims used. The monti frame might work, I have never installed one of these. Do not worry about the angle of steering, that is why street rods use joints and tilt columns. Hope this all helps Ace PS always fishplate both sides and bottom of any frame splice !!! with 1/4 in plate welded.

Many thanks for all the good council here. I have yet to move the car home, but I did take some "this is where I found it" pictures. I will see about trying to get some of those loaded so you can see why I was so hot on buying this outfit anyway. It may be all ok anyway, and just need cleaning up and a disc brake swap. I will know when I get her home.

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